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Diversity
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Recent Advances and Future Perspectives for Balsaminaceae Research
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Recent Advances and Future Perspectives for Balsaminaceae Research

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 November 2023) | Viewed by 5663

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Wojciech Adamowski

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Sportowa 19, 17-230 Białowieża, Poland
Interests: balsaminaceae; biological invasions; Orchidaceae; secondary succession; synanthropisation of plant cover

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The family of Balsaminaceae, consisting of two genera, monotypic Hydrocera and the species-rich, Impatiens, is the inspiration of many worldwide studies. Impatiens is well known for being taxonomically difficult due to its enormous variability, problems with preparing useful herbarium specimens, and the nature of its habitats (predominantly remote, mountainous areas with high rainfall). With the use of new technologies, we could resolve previously irreconcilable problems. Several important monographs published in recent years spurred interest in the taxonomy of Impatiens; every year, descriptions of approximately ten to twenty new taxa are published, as well as several new records, rediscoveries, or taxonomic changes.

This Special Issue will include information on advances concerning the taxonomy of Impatiens with state-of-the-art reviews of useful methods, such as pollen morphology, seed coat micromorphology, the micromorphology of epidermal cells, and genetic studies. Two of the planned papers will be the checklists of Balsaminaceae in two important areas: China and SE Asia, where no such lists were previously available in English.

Balsaminaceae could also be a valuable area of study for biochemists, entomologists, and phytopathologists. These plants have long been used as ornamental and medicinal plants, and new studies reveal additional useful taxa and new interesting properties. Balsams are also useful in biotechnology and plant remediation, as further elucidated by other papers included. Due to specific ecological demands, many taxa are endemic and threatened, as after being introduced to new locations, other taxa became invasive, creating problems for native wildlife and the human economy. Finally, we need to know how these beautiful plants will thrive (or not) in our future, rapidly changing world.

Dr. Wojciech Adamowski
Guest Editor

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biochemistry
  • biotechnology
  • ecology
  • endangerment and protection
  • phytogeography
  • taxonomy

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

35 pages, 8363 KiB  
Article
The Mexican Balsam, Impatiens mexicana Rydb: A Redescription Based on Morphological and Phylogenetic Studies, with an Update of the Current Geographical Range of the Species
by René Monzalvo, Diana Lizbeth Escorcia-Guerrero, Mario Adolfo García-Montes, Agnieszka Rewicz, Tomasz Rewicz and Norma L. Manríquez-Morán
Diversity 2024, 16(2), 87; https://doi.org/10.3390/d16020087 - 31 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3175
Abstract
Impatiens mexicana is a native balsam restricted to the cloud forests of central and southwest Mexico, which is currently known to exist in four states (Zacatecas, Veracruz, Puebla, and Oaxaca), and is probably threatened by geographic restriction. Morphological and distributional information about this [...] Read more.
Impatiens mexicana is a native balsam restricted to the cloud forests of central and southwest Mexico, which is currently known to exist in four states (Zacatecas, Veracruz, Puebla, and Oaxaca), and is probably threatened by geographic restriction. Morphological and distributional information about this species is still scarce, with only a couple of investigations since its first description in 1910, which means the phylogenetic position of this species has yet to be placed. In order to contribute to knowledge of I. mexicana, morphological and molecular studies were carried out with material collected in the localities of Hidalgo, Veracruz, and Oaxaca, during expeditions from July to October 2021 and in 2022. The specimens selected were measured, photographed, and compared with morphological information from the six American balsams. At the same time, phylogenetic studies were carried out by using two regions of the cpDNA and one of the nrDNA. We report I. mexicana for the first time in Hidalgo state, and identify new registers in the Veracruz and Oaxaca localities, thus increasing the knowledge in its geographic distribution. We also redescribe the Mexican balsam by using new and complementary traits: we note that while the species is morphologically similar to I. capensis, it is distinguished by differences in flower color, the distribution of spot patterns on the upper petal, lower sepal, and lateral petals, and geographic information such as endemic geographic distribution in Mexico’s Tropical Montane Cloud Forest (TMCF). We also carried out phylogenetic analyses by using ITS and ITS + atpb-rbcL, which showed the Mexican balsam was independent from its Asian-American congeners. Interestingly, our genetic distance analyses reveal differences of 0.01–0.16% between I. mexicana and the other North American congeners that use ITS, atpb-rbcL and trnL-F, both independently and as concatenated genes: this low divergence most likely occurred because of the recent diversification of the group. However, both future redescriptions and phylogenetic studies in American species are imperative, as this will enable better discrimination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances and Future Perspectives for Balsaminaceae Research)
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28 pages, 3605 KiB  
Article
Species Diversity and Geographical Distribution Patterns of Balsaminaceae in China
by Yi Chen, Jun Chen, Qin-Qin Yong, Tao-Hua Yuan, Qiu Wang, Mei-Jun Li, Sheng-Wei Long and Xin-Xiang Bai
Diversity 2023, 15(9), 1012; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15091012 - 12 Sep 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1697
Abstract
Balsaminaceae are world-famous ornamental flowers because of their high species diversity, rich variation, peculiar flower patterns, and long ornamental cycles. To study the species diversity, distribution patterns, and distribution hotspots of Balsaminaceae in China, we updated the list of Balsaminaceae by systematically searching [...] Read more.
Balsaminaceae are world-famous ornamental flowers because of their high species diversity, rich variation, peculiar flower patterns, and long ornamental cycles. To study the species diversity, distribution patterns, and distribution hotspots of Balsaminaceae in China, we updated the list of Balsaminaceae by systematically searching the related literature. The distribution pattern and hotspots of Impatiens spp. were analyzed using the ArcGIS 10.8.2 software. Combining 19 meteorological factors and one elevation factor, the Maxent model was applied to analyze the dominant environmental factors that govern the distribution of Impatiens spp. As of February 2023, Balsaminaceae in China included 360 taxa in two genera, including one taxon in the genus of Hydrocera, 359 taxa in the genus Impatiens, 271 national endemic species, and 157 provincial endemic species. Impatiens spp. showed a diffusion pattern from the tropical and subtropical regions to the high-latitude and high-elevation regions concentrated in Southwest China, especially in the Hengduan Mountains in the broad sense, Southern Tibet, the Yunnan–Guizhou–Guangxi karst region, the Qinling–Daba Mountains, and the southeastern hills. The highest species richness was found in the 1200~1500 m elevation range, with 164 species of Impatiens spp. This high species richness was maintained at between 900 and 2700 m, the elevation range where Impatiens spp. are concentrated. When 100% of the species were screened out, 110 hotspots were found, including Southeast Yunnan, Northwest Yunnan, Southern Tibet, and Western Sichuan, where most of the hotspots were concentrated and overlapped with global biodiversity centers, but other hotspots were more scattered. Annual precipitation, the minimal temperature of the coldest month, the altitude and temperature annual range, and four environmental variables with a cumulative contribution of 93.7% were the dominant environmental factors affecting the distribution of Impatiens spp. in China. This study lays the foundation for subsequent studies of Balsaminaceae diversity and is conducive to the development and use of Impatiens spp. resources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances and Future Perspectives for Balsaminaceae Research)
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